Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Hands-free car phones 'should be banned'

THE USE hands-free mobile phones while driving should be banned. This is the view of road safety charity Brake that says four in ten drivers (38%) admit to using hands-free phones in the car despite research that shows talking on a hands-free system is just as dangerous as using a hand-held mobile phone. Drivers who use a mobile phone while driving are four times more likely to be involved in a collision that causes serious or fatal injuries.

MPs call for parking charge reports

COUNCILS should publish annual parking-charge reports to show where revenue comes from and where it is being used, MPs said today. The use of parking charges and fines specifically to raise revenue was "neither acceptable nor legal" said Louise Ellman, chairman of the House of Commons Transport Committee. Launching a report by her committee into local authority parking enforcement in England, Mrs Ellman said: "There is a deep-rooted public perception that parking enforcement is used as a cash cow, so it's essential that local authorities apply stringent transparency." The committee said local authorities in England had a collective parking surplus in the hundreds of millions of pounds, but that the exact amount was subject to debate.

Land Rover Defender Black Pack and Silver Pack options revealed

The Land Rover Defender (pictured) gets new options Whilst Land Rover are busy deciding exactly what the next generation Land Rover Defender will offer when it arrives – probably in 2016 now – they’re not forgetting the current Defender. Heading for s debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month are two new option packs for the Defender – Black Pack and Silver Pack – as well as new extras and options on other Defenders in the range. The new Defender Black Pack comes with a Santorini black paint job for the roof, grille, wheelarches and headlamp surrounds, ‘Defender’ script on the bonnet, Privacy glass, Alston headlining and a choice of gloss black Sawtooth alloys or gloss black heavy duty wheels.